Internal-combustion-engine structure.



W R. GORHAM.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE STRUCTURE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 1916. RENEWED IULY 1:. i918.

Patented. Jan. 21, 1919.-

. 'INVENTOR."

ATTORNEY.

WILLIAM R. GORHAM, 01E ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA.

INTEBNAL-COMBUSTION-ENGINE STRUCTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 21, 1919.

Application filed June 7,1918,Seria1 No. 102,298. Renewed m 1a, 1918. serial n mes-1e Z '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. GoRHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Alameda, county of Alameda, and State of California, have made a new and useful invention-to wit, an Improve ment in Internal-Combustion-Engine Structures; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, concise, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates more particularly to the structure of the engine cylinders, the surrounding water jacket therefor and the valve mechanism.

In this specification and the annexed drawing I illustrate the invention in the form that I consider the best, but it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to this form because the same invention may be embodied in other forms, and it is also to be understood that in and by the claims following the description, I desire to cover the invention in whatever form it may be embodied,

In the accompanying one sheet of drawin igure 1 is"a front elevation of the cylinder of an internal combustion motor in cross section built in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail illustrating the sliding joint and packing therefor between the edge of the water jacket and the wall of the cylinder.

Fig. 3 is av fragmentary detail showing the shoulder stud for attaching the water jacket and manifolds to the cylinder.

Those portions of an internal combustion or other type of motor not germane to this invention have been omitted. this invention having more to do particular y with the cylinder and valve mechanism. the omitll-d portions being sufficiently well known to those skilled in this art 'to require no detailed disclosures herein.

In detail the construction illustrated in tion is especially designed for aeroplane motors where lightness, strength and reliabili y are primary :onsiderations. Tc further lighten the structure, the water jacket 3 is preferably composed of an integral casting of aluminum alloy. This metal is light and sufiiciently strong for the purpose of circulating a suitable cooling medium, such as water about the cylinder 3. Because of the inherent differences in the behavior, the metal of which the cylinder 1 is composed and the metal of which the jacket- 3 is composed, novel means of combining these two for the difference in the expansion and contraction particularly. The cylinder 1 is adapted to be turned to a true cylinder having parallel internal walls for the reception of the reciprocating piston operative therein in the usual manner. The head of the cylinder is preferably squared at right angles to the axis of the cylinder as at 4, the inlet and outlet passages 5 and 6 being cored into the cylinder head and internally counterbored to form the valve seats 7 and 8 against which the inlet and outlet valves 9 and 10 are adapted to seat; For convenicnce in forming these valve seats, the cylinder head could be formed separately and electrically or otherwise welded to the main cylinder body, but the construction shown in the drawings is the preferred form although requiring a rather more complicated method of operation in finishing the interior of the cylinder and the valve seats. The valve stems 11 and 12 project obliquely through the cylinder head being guided in the bushings 13 and 14: having shoulders thereon engaging abutments 'n'crv ded in the inlet and outlez passages 5 and 5. These bushings rklt'lld well beyond the head of the cylinder. The interior of the water-jacket casting is bored out to an exact fit with the head of the cylinder, over which it is forced by hydraulic pressure to insure a permanent and hermetic fitting together of the parts at all points of contact. The intake and exhaust passages register with the intake and manifold w and m bolted to the water-- jacket hereinafter described. The lower edge of the water jacket is iuturned to form the annular flange 15 registering with the annular embossmeut 16 for med or the cyl inder rails. To render the joint water t ght, at this point the soft packing 17 is elements have been resorted to to provide introduced between theTeinbossment l6 and r the follower ring 18 surrounding the cylindate any variation in dimension between the cylinder walls and the water jacket.

The space between the water-jacket 3 and the cylinder 1 extends over the top of the cylinder through the cored triangular space 21, 'the latter being brought into direct contact with the superficial area of the whole cylinder so far as possible,' particularly near the valves 9 and 10.

in addition to the pinch fit due to the squeezing together of the water jacket and the cylinder, positive means are provided formaintaining this relation. Such means in each-instance performing an additional useful function. lhe bushings 13 and i l -guiding the valve stems are provided with running threads projecting beyond the water jacket and are provided with lock huts 22 and 23 cotiperating with the shoulders on the. bushing to draw the cylinder head and the water jacket together and hold them in closefixed relation. The stud bolts 24: holding the manifolds a; and w in position, are threaded in the cylinder head and pass through holes provided in the water jacket and the flange 25 on the manifolds. The nuts 26 screwed onto the bolts 242 com press the water jacket between the flanges 25 and the head of the cylinder, preventing lateral displacement at this point on both sides of the structure. Further lateral stability is provided for by the hollow bushings nesting means recited.

2? threaded into thev walls of the cylinder and having the annular flange heads 28 bear- 5 ing against shoulders ion the water jacket to compress the jacket against the cylinder walls "atthis point. 1 hese hollow bushings 271'ar e-"internally threaded and adapted to receive the spark plug forming part of the ignition system of the motor. The ignition system is generally dual, requiring two plugs, one for the battery circuit and one for the magneto circuit. By these various con- 7 the cylinder head is pulled up into the water jacket at the top by the threaded bushings "l3 and M on the lock nut as described and is similarly held in position laterally by the stud bolts hold- M ing the manifolds; and by the hollow bush lugs, and longitudinal expansion and contraction provided for by the flange inter posed between the annular liange lo and the walls of the cylinder at the lower extremity of the water jacket.

Practice has demonstrated that the cunt.

issues? pression between the water jacket and the cylinder at points of contact is sufficient to prevent leakage of water from the water jacket into the cylinder; however, white lead or any other suitable sealing medium may be introduced at these points to insure hermetic sealing.

The overhead system of valve operation illustrated in the drawings consists of a cam shaft 30 having the cam 31 fixed thereon. The cam shaft is journaled in suitable bearings supported by the brackets 32 screwed to the water jacket above the cylinder. The cams strike under the rollers 33 in the end of the rocker arms 34: pivoted at 35 in the bracket 32, the outer end of these rockers engage the valve stems to open and close the valves in accordance with the timing of the operation of the cams 31, synchronizing the opening and closing of the valves with the rotation of the crank shaft (not shown) to which the cam shaft 31 is geared by a suitable timing gearing.

The valve in the head motor with overhead operating cam. mechanism is considered to be the most eiiicient, although subject to the criticism of noisiness. The noisiness can be disguised by a proper inclosing of the valve mechanism, together with proper lubrication. To this end the water jacket is formed with the upward extension 36 forming a basin around the valve mechanism, which is surmounted by the'cover 37 with the interposed soft packing 38 to form an all tight seal at this point. The combination of the open base 36 and the cover 37 form a chamber entirely inclosing the valve operating mechanism, effectively muffiing the noises thereof. The valve mechanism is lubricated by oil forced through the hollow cam shaft at high pressure, the inclosing chamber is filled by a line oil spray escaping from the various bearings. lhis oil spray condenses on the operative parts of the valve mechanism insuring perfect lubrication at all points, the surplus oil draining back into the oil reservoirs from which it is pumped in continuous circulation. To prevent the accumulation of internal pressure within the chamber, it is vented throngs the openings 39 open to the atmosphere and trapped by the bames 40 to prevent the escape of oil through the vents. For convenience in handling the cover 37, it provided with recesses 41 having, the overhanging portion 42 to form a finger hold in manipulating the cover. By disconnecting the brackets 32 from the cylinder unit, the whole cam mechanism can be removed without disturbing the timing at the valves.

The placement of the valve in the head of the cylinder as illustrated, the axis of the valve being oblique tothe axis of the cylin. yderrgpermits larger valves in proportion to.

the bore'of the cylinder, to be placed in the head thereof.

' The cylinder and valve construction illustrated herewith does not limit or modify the multiplication of cylinders in the engine in accordance with the usual fourcycle'type, in

-. which the cylinders can be formed singly or en; bloc or in sets of two or more, arranged ingadapted to register the said flange,.a

followup ring' positioned below the embommerit, means for moving such ring farther away or. closer thereto and packing interposed between said embossment and ring.

2. In an internal combustion engine a.

cylinder, formed with internally screw. t readed openings, having 'intake and. exhaust passages opening laterally thereto, a

water jacket formed with openings therethrough, hermetically engaging said cylinder, valve guides engaging the walls of said intake and exhaust passages and project-v. ingthrough'the head of said, cylinder and tli'eiwater jacket and having lock nuts thereon, manifolds formed with-flanges provided with openings, bolts. adapted to be passed therethrough and engage-the openings in the water jacket and to project into the open- 4o jugs; formed in the cylinder whereby 'to compress the water prising a cylinder, a water jacket mg said cylinder, such cylinder and water.

jacket between said cylinder and manifold.-

3. An internal combustlon engine, comenvelopjacket, beihg provided ,with registering openings, a hollow valve guide positioned within such openings and being adapted 'to be engaged at its lowe end by,the cylinder and means exerting a 1111 at the upper end of said valve guide and pressure upon said jiacket in position with respect to the cy'liner. I

4. An internal combustionengine, comprising acylinder, a water jacket envelopinder-bein provided with re istering openings, a ho low valve guide, ormed with a shoulder around its lower,'and screw threads around its. upper PQItlOIl, and being' adapted. to be positioned w1thin such openings'in such a manner that the shoulder is engaged by the cylinder, whereby to prevent,

the'removal of the valve guide in an upa water jacket whereby to retain the water I ing said cylinder,- such water jacket and cyl- 'ward direction, a nut adapted to engage 'said' screw thread whereby, upon the tightening of thensame, it exerts an upward pull upon the valve guide and downward pressure upon thewater jacket, by'reason of which the latter-is retained in position with re- 'specttothe cylinder.

-In testimony I hereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco, California, this 31st day of May 1916. a v R. GORHAM,

In presence of "BALDWIN VALE,

A. HENRY. 

